How proteins are protected

Proteins are built out of amino acid chains. To fulfill their various cellular functions, these chains must be folded into a specific, biologically active spatial structure. So-called molecular chaperones, themselves proteins as well, help to do this. Cellular stress or chaperone malfunction can lead to protein aggregation, which is associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. In two studies, we explore different mechanisms by which cells help proteins to adopt and maintain their functional form or shield them from aggregation under stress.